SNAP
Statement

Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, national director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 566 9790 cell, 314 645 5915 home)

This decision is prudent and reasonable It protects both the actual safety of children and the accepted principles of justice. Given Polanski's crimes - child rape and fleeing law enforcement - how could any government officials justify the risk of letting him go at this juncture?

If Polanski had resisted the temptation to flee justice and become a fugitive, this all would have been resolved years ago and considerable individual pain and government resources could have been spared.

We hope that the news of Polanski's continued incarceration may free up others who may have seen, suspected or suffered any of his crimes to come forward, call the police, get help and safeguard others.

(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the nation’s oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We’ve been around for 21 years and have more than 9,000 members across the country. Despite the word “priest” in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)